Vacuum cleaner brush



'Sept 9, E941. f F. H. RAsT 2,255,271

VACUUM CLEANER BRUS H Filed Sept. 3, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l l w 5333237 wf I.

1N VENTOR.

M/LL ATTORNEY.

Sept. 9, 1941. F. H. RAST 2,255,271

VACUUM CLEANER BRUSH Filed Sept. 5, 1957. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /VL MIgf/ENTOR. BY

M ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 9, 1941 2,255,271 VACUUM CLEANER BRUSH Frits H. Bast, Charleston, W. Va., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Electrolux Corporation, Dover, Deh, a corporation of Delaware Application September 3, 1937, Serial No. 162,233

2 Claims. (Cl. 15-158) This application is a continuation in part of my co-pending application Serial No. 110,393, led November 11, 1936.

' My invention relates to a brush attachment for vacuum cleaners, and more particularly to a cleaning tool for Venetian blinds.

An object of my invention is to provide a tool for use with a vacuum cleaner, for cleaning Venetian blinds.

Another object of my invention is to provide a tool which may be inserted between adjacent slats of a Venetian blind for removing the dust accumulated on the slats of the blind.

A further object' of my invention is to provide a tool of simple construction which is efcient in operation, and easy and convenient to handle.

What I consider to be novel and my invention may be better understood by reference to the following specication and appended claims, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a part of my tool; Fig. 2 is a plan view; Fig. 3 is a side sectional view; Fig. 4 is a sectional view along line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a sectional view along line 5-5 of Fig. 3; and Flg. 6 is a sectional view of the tool located between adjacent slats of a Venetian blind.

Referring to the drawings, I0 indicates generally the hollow head of my cleaning tool or brush which is substantially rectangular in shape. The side walls, II and I2, converge toward one end, I3, forming a tapered or wedged shaped head. The tapered or wedged shaped head facilitates the entering of the tool between the adjacent slats of a Venetian blind and assists in producing a pressure between the slats and tool as will be more fully explained hereafter. The converging side walls, Il and I2, are provided with elongated slots I4. Each side wall, II and I2, is provided with two slots I4, but it may be found desirable in some cases to provide a greater or lesser number of slots I4. 'I'he opposite end wall I5 is provided with an opening I6 in which a tube I'I is secured. The tube Il provides a communicating passage to the interior of hollow head Ill. Thus, when the tube Il is connected to the hose of a vacuum cleaner, the suction is communicated to the interior of head IIJ. As illustrated in the drawings, the head I0 is formed of metal but, obviously, it could be made of many other materials, such as wood or a phenolic condensation product. When the head I0 is made of metal plates of thin stock, it is desirable to reinforce the head between the slots I4. For this purpose a reinforcing plate I8 is provided extending transverse to the converging side walls, II and I2. and located mid-way between the slots I4. As better indicated in Fig. 5, the plate I8 is provided with flanged ends I9 for securing the plate I8 to the side walls, II and l2,` for example by means of welding. v

I have found it desirable for the efcient cleaning of Venetian blinds to cover the head I0 with' a covering 20 which serves a dual purpose of disturbing the dust and thus facilitating its removal by the suction produced within the head III and also protecting the slats of the Venetian blind from abrasion when the head I0 is formed of metal or other abrasive material. I preferably use a covering 20 consisting of a sheep skin with a relatively heavy wool pile. Other material with a pile-like surface may be used. As illustrated in the drawings, covering 20 is of bag shape fitting tightly over the head III and having aps 2l and 22 adapted to be secured together on opposite sides of the tube I1 by means of separable fasteners 23. Covering 20 is provided with a plurality of openings 24 which register with the slots I4.

Referring to Fig. 6, the cleaning of Venetian blind 25 is accomplished by inserting the small end I3 of the head Il between adjacent slats 26.-

The width of the ead at the end I3 together with the covering 20 is smaller than or approximately equal to the normal spacing between the slats 26. After the head -III isinserted between the slats 26, the side walls II and I2 which diverge away from the end I3, displace the slats 26, thereby producing a pressure between the slats 26 and tool, insuring a more eiiicient agitating or dust disturbing action upon the two slats engaged. As the tool is moved longitudinally along the slats 36 the cover 20 rubs against the adjacent surfaces of the two slats 26 and disturbs the dust resting thereon, thus assisting in the removal of the dust by the suction in head III. 'I'he dust is then picked up passing through the openings 24 of covering 20, slots I4 into the interior of head I II and out through the tube l1 to the vacuum cleaner hose, not shown. The wedge shape produced by the converging side walls II and I2 not only assists in the cleaning of the slats of the Venetian blind but also permits eiiicient cleaning of the Venetian blinds of various sizes. Also, the head Ill is made suillciently long so that it may be used for cleaning Venetian blinds having a greater width than the blinds ordinarily used in a dwelling. The head of tool I 0 can be made sumciently long and the width of the tool sufficiently great at the end wall I5 so that the tool may be used for cleaning a very wide range of sizes of Venetian blinds.

The width of the head I0, transverse to the side walls Il and I2, can be made sufliciently large to produce a relatively large area of contact between the slat and the tool. To clean the whole length of the slats 26 oi blind 25, the tool is moved longitudinally from one side to the other throughout the length of the slats. As the tool is moved along the slat, the dust is disturbed by the covering 20 and picked up by the suction and passes through the opening 24 to the vacuum cleaner as explained above. Starting from the top or bottom, the slats are cleaned by inserting the tool between adjacent slats in succession, cleaning the top of one slat and the bottom of the adjacent slat at the same time.

From the foregoing, it may be seen that an eiilcient Venetian blind tool is provided which may be utilized for cleaning Venetian blinds of various sizes and which is of simple construction and may be readily utilized.

What I claim is: 1. A cleaning tool comprising a hollow substantially rectangular shaped head, a hollowr stem formed with the head and opening ina` the same, said head having suction slots, and a FRITZ H. RAs'r. 

